Tripod for machine-guns



I. S. BUTLER.

TRIPOD FOR MACHINE GUNS. APPLICATION FILED {55.11, 1919. 1,372,599.

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Patented Mar. 22, 1921. S E T g 6 liil 1 J. S. BUTLER.

TRIPOD FOR MACHINE GUNS. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11, I919.

Patnted Mar. 22 1921.

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A pplicationgfiled refinery-11,1919. Serial unol' evaaea (FILED UNDER T rm or mean 3;,*1sss;'22- s raniigiezta To all whom it may) concern; V 7 Be 1t-lrnown that I, JOHN'S. BUTLER, captain ordnancedepartment, U. 7. SI. Army, a cit'izenrofthe United States, stationed at lVashington; D. 0., have invented an ,Im provement in Tripods for Machine-Guns, 0f "which'the following is a specification.

v The invention described herein may be used byi the. Government, or any )fv.its c fli-- cers oremployeesin prosecution of work for the Governmenu'oi' by any other person in the United States, without payment of-any royalty thereon.

' several Views.

This, invention relates to iinproveinentsin tripods for mach ne guns1and', r efers more particularly to tripods for Browning niachinefgunsof the type 'ada ted for use in; connection withmilitary tan rs, L

invention; is p Y QQbeing insertedbetweeathe bridgeand} i Y tate, about the bola-23., To bracketc Ql' a 7 l The principal objectofthe to proyide a tripod ofthe foregoing char acter whieh will'be readily engageable to a tank gun which has been removed from the T tank for emergenoy use by 'the operatorin a proneposition, and which may be easily and quickly folded and strapped to theguni for transportation;

lVith the foregoing and other important objects in view my invention comprises the new and useful details of construction and arrangement which willbe hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the anneXedvdraw-V ing; and pointed out more specifically in; g and by the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings wherein the preferred embodiment of my invention 7 w is shown like reference characters 'refer to like and corresponding parts throughout'the Inthe drawings i Figure 1 isthe side elevation of nay-tripod shown in its operating relation with the machine gun of the tank" type; Fig. 2'is'a similar View of my device folded and strapped tothegun. r

Fig. 3 is a plan view andFig. 4 is a front elevation of my tripod in its operating position. V p 7 v I f V Fig. 5 is a detailed perspective view of the central yoke of my tripod.

seen that I providemy' tripod with a central yoke 10 having its centerbridge- 11 car ried substantially horizontal in the operat- Referring now tov he drawlngyit will be gitudinally extended vertical flanges 1 2 are dependent from the bridge and a channeled rear leg '13 is fixed therebetween as by rivets.

1415, the leg extending diagonally rearward and terminating at its lower end-inL-asuitable-foot .The lower edges of-fianges 12 are turned outwardly to form diagonallywex- I tending wings 16 to each of; which is pivoted at 17 a front leg 18 which'terminates the lower end' in m- L g g adapted in .the operating ;position lofythe tripod to extend diagonally forward and lat erally ln position to firmly bracerthetripod in the usualinanner, an arcuate stop-bolt 20 being fixed b'etweenthe-wing '16If0rward off the yoke in. position to limit the spread of i the legs byfengageinent therewith.

7 Vertically pivoted by 'olt 23 to bri a }i1" is a U shaped,bracket 21,. a spacing washer bracket; allowing. the bracket-to freely r0 clamp head 24 {is transver'sely pivotedhy bolt 25, the clamp head beingjverticirl'lyrotatable aboutbolt 25. .Infclamp head 24:;the

machine gnn A is adapted to rest, .a hinged arcuate cap 26 belngearried by thehead 1T position to swing laterallyover the'f gun-to 7 Secure the same 1n .plac'e. A lnnge'd bolt 27 7' wardly extending bifurcations 28 carried on the head, and a wing nut 29 is threaded on -the'bolt to provide means for drawing the cap26securely against the gun.

forward legs 181 in their spread position against stop bolt 20 I insert about pivoting pins 17-between each of the legs and-the corresponding wings 16 of the yoke-:a spring platef 30 having 'ClOWDWZLI'CllY'PIOJECtIIIg rounded protuberances 31- positioned to engage behind the legs 'when the legs have As a meansfor deta'chably engagingthe been swungforward'to thedesired position. i It will be seen that said spring actuated pro ing positionof the-tripod. 'A pairo'f V tuberanees will resist the slight tendency of T I gungbut that the operator may readily swing the legs to be rotated'by the vibrationof the the legs pastsaidprotuberancesby exerting} sufficient pressure to force the spring plate Infolding myitripod the legsandeentral ward; until the foot contacts with-the gun,

slightly upward when adjusting the tripod.- 7

r yokelare rotated so' that rear leg 13 ;is-eX-* a tendedforward. Leg 13 is then raised up'--- the yoke and bracket 21' rotating with the Legs 18 are then rotatedon leg on bolt 25. pivoting pins 17 to positions in which the feet 19, are in contact with leg 13. A strap 32 which is riveted to one of thelegs lS ati 33 is then buckled aboutthe' tripod and gun I as is clearly shown in Fig. 2. V

From the foregoing descriptio'n'it will be readily seen that my invention provides a tripod which is read-1y adaptable for'use with a tank gun especially when the gun is being used in an emergency by an operator in a prone position and that the same be easily andquickly folded and strapped to the gun for transportation. 7

Having thus described my inveiitiolnwliat I- claim as new and desire to protect 'by Letters Patent is: i

1. A tripod for a machine gunor the like,

including a clalnp for engagement with the gun, a bracket carried by the clamp, a yoke hinged to the bracket, a rear leg fixed to the yoke and adapted to be swung beneath and. longitudinally of the gun barrel when not in use, and front legs pivoted to the yoke and adapted to be swung into engagement with the rear leg when the tripod is not in use.

2. A tripod fora machine gun,.including a bracket, means for pivotally securing the bracket to the gun, a rear leg fixed to the bracket and adapted to be swung beneath,

and longitudinally of the gun barrel when not in use, and front legs pivoted to the yoke and adapted to be swung into engagement with the rear leg.

3. A tripod; for-machine guns, including a yoke formed with depending flanges, means for pivotally securing the yoke to a machine gun, a leg fixed between the. flangesand 7 adapted ftobeswung beneath and longitudinally of thegun barrel when not in use, and

to said yoke,' said yoke provided with di agonally'extending wings, diagonally and forwardly diverging front legs pivoted'to said wings, and an arcuatebolt bridging the space between said wings in position to limit the'f orward divergence of said legs. 5. In combination with a machinegun, a tripod therefor having a clamp detachably engageable with the gun, a transversely hinged bracket carried by the clamp, a central yoke vertically pivoted to the hinged bracket, a rearwardly extending leg fixed to a the yoke, diagonallyand forwardly diverging front legs. pivoted to" the yoke, stop means on said yoke in position tolimit the forward divergence of said.legs,.and spring means carried by theyoke in position to detachablyenga'ge the front legs in the spread position. A o

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